We do love a quirky and creative rental home, and today’s sweet love nest in Geelong is a beauty.

This is home to designer / maker Andrea Shaw of Stampel, and her partner Duncan Russell-Smith, who is a furniture maker. This creative couple made the move to Geelong in January 2014, after Duncan got a job with a furniture maker in Torquay. Originally, they had hoped for a place along the surf coast (about 30 minutes beyond Geelong), but after a fruitless hunt looking for rentals near the beach during the busy summer period, they came across this amazing 1960’s home in town. It wasn’t exactly what they had in mind… but a welcome diversion!

We do love a quirky and creative rental home, and today’s sweet love nest in Geelong is a beauty.

This is home to designer / maker Andrea Shaw of Stampel, and her partner Duncan Russell-Smith, who is a furniture maker. This creative couple made the move to Geelong in January 2014, after Duncan got a job with a furniture maker in Torquay. Originally, they had hoped for a place along the surf coast (about 30 minutes beyond Geelong), but after a fruitless hunt looking for rentals near the beach during the busy summer period, they came across this amazing 1960’s home in town. It wasn’t exactly what they had in mind… but a welcome diversion!

Living room details – Hat and bag hanger by Duncan, collage work and smaller round works by Andrea. Wonky vase found on a visit to Kyo in Ocean Grove, and the cabinet is from the Brotherhood in Brunswick. Andrea says ‘We used to live up the road and on my way home from uni I’d pop in and if there was anything good, I’d borrow their trolley and wheel it on home.’ Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Dining room details – ‘The beautiful wall and ledge in the north facing, light filled dining room is the perfect place for our growing plant collection. The little details in the wall such as the shelves/cutouts can be found throughout the house,’ notes Andrea. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Designer / maker Andrea Shaw of Stampel and her partner Duncan Russell-Smith, a furniture maker, didn’t originally intend to move to Geelong. After Duncan secured a job in Torquay, the pair had hoped to find a place to rent on the Victorian surf coast, but after a fruitless month of house hunting during the busy summer period, they came across this amazing 1960’s home instead.

‘It was the house that drew us to Geelong, we hadn’t really considered living here before’ says Andrea. ‘We’re still tossing up whether to try to move to Torquay which would be closer to work for both of us, but the conversation always ends with one of us saying “I really like this place though”!’

This character filled house, with it’s generous proportions and four bedrooms, affords both Andrea and Duncan the space to indulge their creative passions when they’re not at work. One bedroom has been converted into a dedicated yoga room for Andrea, who moonlights as a yoga teacher and cherishes her daily yoga practice. When not making furniture, Duncan makes electronic music, and has turned another room into his music studio. Ahhh the joys of SPACE!

As they are renting, Andrea and Duncan have done very little to their home since moving in, other than filling the space with much loved vintage finds, Duncan’s handcrafted furniture, a veritable jungle of lush indoor plants and artwork by Andrea and a host of creative friends. One particularly favourite piece is the dining table, made by Duncan before he completed his training. ‘He just sees the imperfections in it, but I love the big wonky red gum slab that we bought for $40 off the Bendigo wood turners association’ says Andrea. This striking piece sits pride of place in the sunny front dining room, with an incredible floor to ceiling shale stone wall as its impressive backdrop.

Andrea and Duncan’s most cherished possessions, though, are two very special portraits of their late mothers, commissioned from Melbourne artist Sandra Eterovic. ‘These are our favourite pieces of artwork in the house, they hang out in our front sitting room, which is a small sunny space at the front of the house where we eat breakfast, drink tea and read books’ says Andrea. Along with other collected treasures, these sweet family portraits perfectly complement the character of the home.

That incredible timber panelling and the striking stone walls are, of course, the most distinctive aspect of this house. ‘We love all the timber details in the house, the windows and door framing, panelled walls and in-built cupboards, and all the stonework gives it such a nice feel’ says Andrea. There’s not much they would change even if they did own the place, Andrea admits. ‘With a place like this I think not staying true to the era would be a shame’ she says.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. When a place reminds you of the past, it seems somehow instantly friendly and familiar. For me, Andrea and Duncan’s house is a little like this. I felt that I almost ‘knew’ this house even before I had set foot inside. It’s a home that channels the kind of 70’s beach shacks my family would rent over summer when I was a kid (I’m talking late 1980’s / early 1990’s), endearingly rough around the edges, but robust and cheerful and full of fun memories. This is a house with its own unique charm, perfectly enhanced with plant life, handcrafted furniture and sweet personal details. It’s a house that makes you feel right at home.

It’s our final instalment from Michael Pham of Phamily Kitchen today, and he leaves us with a favourite dish from his Mum’s kitchen.

Thit Kho is braised pork belly and eggs, in a rich brown caramelised sauce. It is SUPER flavoursome and moreish, and is best served over rice with a few tangy pickles on the side. Perfect warming comfort food for wintery weather.

MASSIVE thanks to Michael Pham for a stellar month of mouth watering food and turquoise tabletops.

It’s our final instalment from Michael Pham of Phamily Kitchen today, and he leaves us with a favourite dish from his Mum’s kitchen.

Thit Kho is braised pork belly and eggs, in a rich brown caramelised sauce. It is SUPER flavoursome and moreish, and is best served over rice with a few tangy pickles on the side. Perfect warming comfort food for wintery weather.

MASSIVE thanks to Michael Pham for a stellar month of mouth watering food and turquoise tabletops.

My mother makes heaps of great dishes that take me right back to being that fat, dorky mathlete kid who was no good at sport. Must have had something to do with being well fed. I could name a heap of dishes that take me back to childhood in an instant; pork stuffed tofu in tomato, crab and egg soup, hairy melon soup with dried shrimp, those stuffed baos with chinese sausage and steamed egg, but as far as family favourites go, this is by far the hands-down winner.

Nothing says welcome home like this pork belly and eggs dish. Sweet, sticky, chunks of pork belly, stewed until dark brown and swimming in a thick pool of gravy with boiled, dark brown eggs. Amazing. Throw it down with steamed rice, cucumber, pickles and I’m all yours. Mum thinks my addition of Coca-Cola™ is pretty unorthodox, but it adds just that bit more caramel sweetness and lime zestiness to the dish that makes it god damn magic. DELICIOUS. Enough said. Let’s cook.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

For the pork

1kg pork belly off the bone

2 x 425mL cans Chef’s Choice coconut juice

1 cup Coca-Cola™

4-6 Tablespoons Fish Sauce – get the best quality you can find – Three Crabs brand is pretty widely available

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons cracked black pepper

4-6 boiled eggs, peeled

2-3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce for colour

For the garnish

Continental or lebanese cucumber, sliced

2 carrots, grated

1/2 white daikon, grated

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Water to cover

To serve

2 cups jasmine rice, steamed

1 small bunch coriander, cleaned and picked

Fried shallots

METHOD

Boil eggs in lightly salted cold water for 7-10 minutes, then run under cold water and submerge in ice water.

Bring a pot of water to the boil (for the pork). Cut pork belly side down (this way is easier) into 2.5cm squares, then drop it into the pot of boiling water for three minutes.

Drain pork, clean the pot, return pork to pot and add coconut juice, Coca-Cola™, onions, garlic, fish sauce, peeled eggs, and pepper. Heat on high heat, then turn down once almost boiling to a low simmer with the lid off for around 2-3 hours.

About an hour before the pork is ready, cook the rice. Now there’s a very specific way to do this and you can’t mess around too hard with it. You have to wash it, so place your rice cooker pot into the sink and with your clean hands, massage it, clean it, give it your love! This cuts the white residue off the rice and cleans it. Drain the water off, do this 2-3 times. Then shake the rice until flat in the pan and measure the height of your rice with your index finger. Then add that same height of water above and hit cook (on your rice cooker, if you don’t have one get one – they’re less than a twenty from Kmart), or on medium heat with a lid over it in a saucepan if you must. Perfect rice.

Make some quick pickles. Grate the carrot and daikon, and let soak in the fridge in vinegar, water and sugar for at least ten minutes.

Once the pork is soft, the gravy nicely caramelised you’re ready. Cut the eggs in half, then serve over perfectly steamed white rice along with sprouts, pickles and sliced cucumber and fried shallots.

We legitimately LOVE everything we feature on TDF… but then, SOMETIMES I AM BLOWN AWAY. Seriously.

These ‘Cement Ceramic’ vessels from local design duo Studio Twocan are truly the most exquisite handcrafted vessels I have seen in recent times. SO, so beautiful. There’s a fair bit of moulded cement business happening in homewares right now, but if you ask me… these girls are above and beyond. It’s all about those intense pigments, giving each piece a unique layered pattern, in hues inspired by the Australian landscape.

We legitimately LOVE everything we feature on TDF… but then, SOMETIMES I AM BLOWN AWAY. Seriously.

These ‘Cement Ceramic’ vessels from local design duo Studio Twocan are truly the most exquisite handcrafted vessels I have seen in recent times. SO, so beautiful. There’s a fair bit of moulded cement business happening in homewares right now, but if you ask me… these girls are above and beyond. It’s all about those intense pigments, giving each piece a unique layered pattern, in hues inspired by the Australian landscape.

Joining the ranks of the Bronte sisters and the Olsen twins are the latest siblings to go into business together – the Sharrock sisters. Working together is nothing new for Becc and Maddie, who have been creative partners since childhood, when they would submit their elaborate projects to Saturday Disney. These days they work together as Studio Twocan, a multidisciplinary design studio that offers branding, graphic design, environmental design, product design, and visual merchandising services. Combining Becc’s background in graphic design and consulting with Maddie’s background in arts management and as an exhibiting artist, they describe Studio Twocan as a natural evolution.

‘The studio is an opportunity to combine our shared skills and knowledge. I guess we were inspired to create Studio Twocan because we wanted to offer a service that combined the perspective of an artist and a designer. And because two heads are better than one!’ says Maddie.

Since launching Studio Twocan two years ago, these sisters have built up an impressive folio of clients and projects, including installations and design for Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, Seesaw, Megan Park, Craft Victoria, and Bettina Liano. Most recently they have been experimenting with product design, resulting in their stunning Cement Ceramic series. This body of work originally stemmed from a project Maddie developed during her Bachelor of Fine Arts at VCA. Becc recalls ‘Maddie enjoyed the process of using throwaway moulds, as it enabled her to be less precious about her work and embrace the imperfections. We then developed the work into a more accessible collection of homewares.’

The range has been refined over the last year, the sisters use found objects to make handmade moulds which they then pour cement into. ‘We enjoy using cement as the finished work is vibrant and tactile, and this is a surprising contrast to the raw, cold, heavy-dutyness of the commercial material,’ notes Maddie. Each piece is coloured with intense pigments to create organic layered patterns inspired by the Australian landscapes, and polished with natural oils. It’s a process the sisters say ‘celebrates imperfections’. The Cement Ceramics debut collection includes candlestick sets, vessels and vases that are both decorative and functional.

Like any well adjusted sibling relationship, success comes down to equal delegation of chores, and Becc and Maddie have come a long way since their childhood vacuuming schedules. At Studio Twocan, Becc does most of the client liasing and designing, while Maddie does most of the physical making, though they both work together on creative direction. The sisters are keeping busy in 2015 with various other client-based projects, including a recent commission from Iva Foschia of IF Architecture to produce a sculptural cement floor light. They are also planning a photographic exhibition of their work for later in the year.

We’ve long admired Lucy Glade-Wright and Jo Harris, the dynamic sibling team behind Melbourne-based Hunting For George. After joining forces in 2010 to launch their popular online store, they’ve gone from strength to strength. What started as a quirky edit of homewares, accessories and gifts has grown into a much broader offering, including Lucy and Jo’s very own bedlinen range. And now – FURNITURE!

We’ve long admired Lucy Glade-Wright and Jo Harris, the dynamic sibling team behind Melbourne-based Hunting For George. After joining forces in 2010 to launch their popular online store, they’ve gone from strength to strength. What started as a quirky edit of homewares, accessories and gifts has grown into a much broader offering, including Lucy and Jo’s very own bedlinen range. And now – FURNITURE!

Lucy Glade-Wright and Jo Harris of Hunting For George really don’t sit still for very long. No sooner have they launched one new project (like their ‘Hunting Collective’ project late last year) and another is well underway! TODAY marks the launch of something pretty big though – a brand new range of locally made furniture designed by Lucy and Jo, with the assistance of Jo’s husband Tom. Wow!

The debut furniture range from Hunting For George is originally came about when Jo found herself in the market for a bed for her young son Oliver. ‘I was hunting for a single bed, and there wasn’t really anything out there that I loved enough to invest in’ she says. Instead, she started sketching up a few ideas, and built a simple bed frame with her husband Tom at his steel factory, finished off with a few left over floorboards.

After Oliver’s new bed proved a hit with family and friends, Lucy and Jo were inspired to take it further. The idea of being able to create furniture to complement their bed linen was an idea they just couldn’t ignore – it wasn’t long before they had expanded the collection to incorporate steel and timber beds in both queen and single sizes, benches and side tables. The full collection is designed and manufactured in Melbourne at Jo’s husband’s business, Ferroustek.

Aside from this latest and somewhat unexpected diversion in furniture production (!!), Lucy and Jo have a lot on their plate right now. Next month they will launch their third range of bedlinen, the ‘Moody Blues’ collection – an understated, masculine range with darker colours and simpler graphics than their previous ranges. The pair also recently moved their headquarters to a larger warehouse to cope with the expansion of their business. ‘We are now the proud tenants of a ramshackled Richmond warehouse and we couldn’t be happier’ says Jo! The new space has allowed the business a little more room to breathe, and will also double as a Hunting for George showroom, due to open later in the year.

The Oliver range of furniture launches today, all products are available to order online and from selected retailers.

On the last Friday of each month we invite a different writer / awesomely entertaining person to share their anecdotal or autobiographical ‘Monthly Musing’ based loosely on themes around home, design and interiors. The time is here again!

This month we’re PUMPED to welcome legendary local writer and editor Penny Modra to TDF! Penny is editorial director at The Good Copy, and in a former life was long serving editor of The Thousands.

Penny is known for her grammatical prowess, her quick wit, and for having four coffees before 9.00am every morning. Only Penny could draw a parallel between everyday life in ancient Pompeii and the modern day fear of having your messy kitchen tagged in an unapproved Instagram photo. The anxiety is real, people.

On the last Friday of each month we invite a different writer / awesomely entertaining person to share their anecdotal or autobiographical ‘Monthly Musing’ based loosely on themes around home, design and interiors. The time is here again!

This month we’re PUMPED to welcome legendary local writer and editor Penny Modra to TDF! Penny is editorial director at The Good Copy, and in a former life was long serving editor of The Thousands.

Penny is known for her grammatical prowess, her quick wit, and for having four coffees before 9.00am every morning. Only Penny could draw a parallel between everyday life in ancient Pompeii and the modern day fear of having your messy kitchen tagged in an unapproved Instagram photo. The anxiety is real, people.

I love that show where the lady professor wobbles around Campania on a bicycle, poking about in the Pompeii ruins and revealing everyday details of life in 79AD. ‘They didn’t have any electricity,’ she’ll proclaim, ‘so the citizens got up at 5am and went straight to the hairdresser!’ Or, ‘You’ll find that many household objects were shaped like penises.’

Fascinating stuff. But, to me, the most interesting thing about the Pompeiian home was its fortress-like design. Walls all the way around. No windows. Everything facing inwards. Not very welcoming. In fact visitors hardly ever made it beyond ‘the good room’, where Pompeiians displayed all their fanciest penis lamps, fruit bowls and spindles.

Despite the eruption of Vesuvius, this tradition trickled right down the ages to my Nana, who would rather have gone to David Jones nude than let a guest in her kitchen. Nana’s neighbours got no further than the sitting room (and, even then, pretty much only on Sundays between 5pm and 6pm).

But when future archaeologists break through the last layer of green supermarket bags to unearth the ruins of our new century they’ll discover an important shift. ‘The citizens enjoyed casual entertaining,’ they’ll remark to their Zuckerberg implants. Flipping through a shrink-wrapped copy of The Selby is in Your Place, they’ll discover that, here in the 2010s, ‘our friends are always dropping around unexpectedly for a simple Sunday brunch,’ and ‘we love displaying quirky artworks in the bathroom.’

Now I’m no archaeologist from the future. I’m not even an archaeologist. But I sometimes wonder what’s going on with this access-all-areas attitude. I hate it when people drop around to my house for brunch. Because, you know, I never have any, so we end up having to go out and queue for $18 eggs. Anyway maybe I just hate brunch. The point is, later that same day I’ll be flipping through Instagram on the toilet and I’ll suddenly realise what it’s all about: cameras. The ever-present possibility of being tagged.

Guys, we are now all nude in David Jones. All the time.

What is there to do but flaunt our readiness by literally putting the kitchen in the sitting room? Walls maketh no difference to the all-seeing eye. How else can we respond but to pre-empt the inevitable by Instagramming our own toilet brushes? We are white-washed, we are splash-backed, we are casually book-strewn, we are island-benched, we are weird-outdoor-daybedded, we are ready for our close-up.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve strewn a few art books in my time. I’ve refilled a few expensive-looking soap dispensers with Imperial Leather. I’ve stolen a few hydrangeas in the dead of night and placed them casually in a few $2 IKEA carafes. I’ve bought a few blue and white butchers aprons from Cuisine World and hung them on a hook so it looks like I use my kitchen to cook. But I’m gonna say it: the problem with some of these photogenic room ideas is actually, you know, living in the rooms. The truth about a guest bed covered with cushions is, in fact, a guest floor strewn with cushions, followed closely by a guest wardrobe stuffed with cushions. The truth about a mantelpiece book stack is trying to get the bottom one out and knocking over your other mantelpiece book stack. The truth about rolled-up towels on a bathroom shelf is a bit of a moldy towel smell two weeks later.

And so, at long last, I arrive at my point.

Life is too damn short to be styled in case of tagging.”

I mean, sure, I want to have a nice-looking house—but I need a new style icon. Someone who is very selfish. Now. Who lives without worrying that their kitchen will be Instagrammed? The carefree rambling man who rides the rails. Correct. Who else? Joan Didion. Correct: Joan never has guests. Hates ’em. And who else? PEOPLE IN MOVIES.

The whole point of a movie is to make you feel like you’re not watching a movie. If we, the viewers, sensed that a character’s house was styled for our benefit, the illusion would be shattered. A hard-bitten detective wouldn’t have a pair of couches with throw rugs. His long hours and depressing work anecdotes would long ago have alienated any loved ones. He’d have a single, beat-up recliner in front of a TV. Do you see what I mean? Thus, people in movies are my new home style icon.

Today we’re following up with the third film in our ‘Melbourne Mornings‘ series, featuring much respected local artist Kirra Jamison, whose work we LOVE (and we know you do, too!).

For Kirra, a calm but disciplined routine every morning is what centres her, and allows her to be intensely creative in the studio.

‘I’ve learnt over the years not to wait for inspiration, but to make a framework for it, and my morning routine sets that framework up for the rest of the day’ Kirra says.

It was incredible to spend a morning with Kirra, especially to watch her at work… as much as I have known and loved Kirra’s work for many years, until we shot this film I had never seen her at work in the studio, with brush to canvas, at the heart of her creative process. It was spellbinding to watch.

Huge thanks also to our filmmaker Paris Thomson of SIRAP, and to amazing local singer Banoffee for allowing us to license her hypnotic track ‘Ninja’ to accompany this film. You can check out this and other beautiful tracks from Banoffee on Soundcloud.

Thanks also to a handful of yoga class attendees for generously allowing us to film them for this shoot – Hannah Kobler, Helinka Kelly, Thomas Kinsman, Esther Olsson and Gabrielle Chalmers – thankyou all so much!

Kirra Jamison is represented by Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne, Jan Murphy Gallery in Brisbane, and Arthouse Gallery in Sydney. Her next solo show (featuring many of the paintings you see in progress here!) is entitled ‘Drink, Salt, Moon’ , and opens at Sophie Gannon Gallery in June 2015.

It’s rare for us to visit a home that’s belonged to one family for 16+ years. I guess, perhaps, it’s rare in general for a family to stay put in one home for so long these days. But how lovely it is to document a space like this, which has been home to three little boys who are now in their teens, and played host to every major life event for the Holle family since 1999.

Vanessa Holle and her husband Christian moved into their Bondi home (then a much smaller semi-detached house) on the eve of the birth of their first son, Jonas. Now, their family comprises Jonas (16 years) Finn (14 years) and Clay (12 years). This is a home layered with a sense of real family history, proper printed family photographs (!), artwork by creative friends and family, Vanessa’s own beautiful handcrafted pieces, and endless eclectic details collected over time.

It’s rare for us to visit a home that’s belonged to one family for 16+ years. I guess, perhaps, it’s rare in general for a family to stay put in one home for so long these days. But how lovely it is to document a space like this, which has been home to three little boys who are now in their teens, and played host to every major life event for the Holle family since 1999.

Vanessa Holle and her husband Christian moved into their Bondi home (then a much smaller semi-detached house) on the eve of the birth of their first son, Jonas. Now, their family comprises Jonas (16 years) Finn (14 years) and Clay (12 years). This is a home layered with a sense of real family history, proper printed family photographs (!), artwork by creative friends and family, Vanessa’s own beautiful handcrafted pieces, and endless eclectic details collected over time.

Details from the Sydney home of designer / maker Vanessa Holle and family. Above – an antique industrial boot locker ‘great hidden storage and a lovely space to display favourite pieces’ says Vanessa. Paintings from left to right – ‘Forio, Ischia’ by Eduard Bargheer, 2 landscapes by Jill Dunkerton. Assorted display pieces – blue bowl was a wedding present, lady vase made by Vanessa as part of her ceramics range, timber star a gift bought at the Christmas market in Hamburg, Dinosaur Designs faceted vases, boxed chair artwork entitled ‘Just Between You & Me’ by Fiona Edmeades, with a small painting of a still life by Vanessa and Christian’s son Jonas. Large painted timber fork by Vanessa’s friend Caroline Quaine. Ceramic lotus pod by ceramicist and friend Deb Taylor, three Polish handpainted timber figures from a market in Krakov, and tall painted timber lady by artist Kristina Fiand bought in Germany. Flat white metal sculptural piece on the right bought recently in Italy. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Colourful living room adjacent to outdoor deck. Side table designed by Neil Durbach. Model sailing boat in front of the window found in an antique store in Berry. Artworks on left painted by the Holles’ teenage son Finn, and below a landscape by Jill Dunkerton. Artwork to the right – ‘Licorice Allsorts’ by Anita Tesoriero. Mobile hanging from Nelson pendant light is by artist Jade Oakley. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Clever cutouts make the house quirky and original. Both ends of this open plan level open with bifold doors, which make it feel light and spacious. Mixture of paintings and objects on the wall leading into the kitchen are mostly done by the Holles’ three boys and creative friends. The painted table tennis bat, bought recently, is by Melbourne artist Sandra Eterovic, the modern cuckoo clock was a present from a close family friend and plays the tweets of a different german bird every hour, on the hour. On the bottom at the far right are two little canvases by Vanessa’s friend and illustrator Cheryl Orsini. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Vanessa’s little workstation in the master bedroom with collected objects and pinboard. ‘This is the best place in the house to paint my ceramic spoons because of the abundance of natural light’ says Vanessa. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Vanessa’s handcrafted, handpainted spoons on the tray lined up ready to be glazed (the ones in the pots are finished). These are for a big order Vanessa recently received via Etsy, gifts for a Christening. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

View from master bedroom. Window is bifold and looks out onto treetops – ‘its a lovely bright room with a fantastic outlook’ says Vanessa. ‘We have never felt the need to put in blinds or curtains’. Rainbow blanket crocheted by Vanessa, a present for Christian for the couples’ 20th wedding anniversary last year. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Finn and Clay’s shared room. The fit out of this room (i.e. shelving and joinery) was designed by the Holles’ friend and architect, Jon King. ‘We love the combination of colour, timber and cutouts’ says Vanessa. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Stairs leading down the lush gully to a seating area at the bottom of the garden. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The Bondi home of Vanessa and Christian Holle, and their three sons Jonas (16) Finn (14) and Clay (12), really is quintessential Sydney beachside-living. Vanessa, who goes by the moniker Vanessa Bean, is a ‘graphic designer by profession and a maker of things by nature’, recognised for her colourful palette and whimsical ceramic creations. Her light and colourfully curated Sydney home of 16 years is every bit an extension of her trademark decorative yet graphic style!

Vanessa and Christian have lived in Bondi since they were married, in two different apartments, not too far from where they live now. Vanessa reminisces about how they spent a lot of time walking around their neighbourhood, fantasising about the perfect street. ‘We realised that having kids meant we would need a bigger home, and were very lucky when a house came up for sale in one of those streets. I remember feeling so happy that it was on a cul-de-sac, had a garden and a bath,’ she says.

Moving in just a fortnight before their first child was due, Vanessa muses how they thought they would have a solid two weeks to unpack and get the house ready. But, as is often the way with babies, they come when they wanna come – and Vanessa went into labour on their first night in the house!

Located ‘close enough to walk to the beach, but far enough away from the summer noise and chaos,’ the house was originally a typical semi – entered at street level with rooms off a main corridor, and a basement level below accessed by a spiral staircase. Fortunately for the Holles, Vanessa’s sister Camilla Block, an architect with Durbach Block Jaggers, helped them significantly reshape their home in 2002 – gutting the street level and turning it into an open plan living, kitchen and TV room, plus a double height covered deck. They put in a stair to the lower level, connected the previously outdoor laundry and extended the rumpus room. Another story was added on top, which became three bedrooms and a second bathroom, and clever use of skylights throughout meant the house was lovely and light.

One of the more unique aspects of this house is that it sits above a lush, leafy gully which neighbouring properties back onto – rendering it difficult to see where one garden ends and the next begins! To capitalise on this sense of a ‘mega’ tropical garden, bi-fold doors were added in the living room, opening up views over the gully garden.

Describing herself as ‘perhaps Scandinavian in another life!’ – Vanessa admits there was never a grand plan in terms of interior design. ‘It all just came together based on what appealed to us at the time.’ Drawn to a simple clean, white palette and blonde timber, yet also a big lover of colour, Vanessa describes the house as a blank canvas to which they added layers ‘based on falling in love with things rather than matching things.’ Artworks from known and loved artists have been teamed with framed canvases painted by the three boys, handicrafts from countries visited along the way, and Vanessa’s own crocheted objects and ceramic pieces.

When asked what some of her favourite pieces are, Vanessa describes each piece of furniture, artwork and rug as having a story. ‘The beautiful dining room table was designed by our good friend Jon King, so practical and still looks perfect having survived the rigours of thee boys!’ she says.

Another favourite piece is the industrial antique buffet, once used as a boot locker, that Vanessa had to convince Christian they should buy at the time. ‘He now agrees the house wouldn’t be the same without it!’ Vanessa says.

Other much-loved pieces include the web lamp, TV chair and couch designed by their friends Kath Norman and Caroline Quaine of Norman and Quaine. Vanessa is also a big fan of rugs to soften contemporary spaces, and loves her Missoni rug for its unusual shape, pattern and colours, while her collection of Pappelina rugs satisfies her love of stripes and bright colour.

A stone’s throw from the beach, with vast light-filled interior spaces and a green outlook – sounds like the Sydney dream to me!

Leafy outlook from the window in the Holle’s master bedroom. ‘This time of year the pink Crepe Myrtle is in flower, so lovely!’ says Vanessa. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

TODAY Michael Pham of Phamily Kitchen teaches us two things. First and foremost, we learn to make Michael’s intensely tasty vegetarian pho, which is so full of spices and complex flavour, it’s hard to believe this dish is entirely meat free.

Also, we learn a new abbreviated slangword – ‘OG’. Yep I admit I had to google it when Michael included this mysterious acronym in his intro below. ‘Original Gangster’ apparently? (Phew, thanks urban dictionary!)

TODAY Michael Pham of Phamily Kitchen teaches us two things. First and foremost, we learn to make Michael’s intensely tasty vegetarian pho, which is so full of spices and complex flavour, it’s hard to believe this dish is entirely meat free.

Also, we learn a new abbreviated slangword – ‘OG’. Yep I admit I had to google it when Michael included this mysterious acronym in his intro below. ‘Original Gangster’ apparently? (Phew, thanks urban dictionary!)

This is the OG favourite fragrant Vietnamese soup, the super-comfort food, the ultimate hangover cure, the grandma’s hug in a bowl. When I think of this dish my mind boggles at the options of what meat to put in it. Tripe? Brisket? Beef balls? Chicken? Fried chicken? Blood pudding? Livers? All of the above? It’s a wonder that a cruelty-free vegan version for you clean-living ethical folk out there would be even possible. For a long time, this dish eluded me, but now that we’ve got it down pat, it’s one of the tastiest dishes at the restaurant.

Now, the (semi) tricky part… Pho is kinda only worth bothering with to make in large-ish quantities – so either throw a nice get-together for at least half a dozen of your nearest and dearest, and/or freeze the rest of the stock for an easy dinner after work.

OK, the truth is, it looks daunting, but don’t be put off by the lengthy ingredients list, it’s actually really, really enjoyable to make. You’ll learn something about yourself. Perhaps. I’d say yes. So climb that mountain at least once and you’ll never look back.

To serve

Bean sprouts

Thai Basil

Lemon wedges

Fresh birds-eye chilli, sliced

Method

In a dry frypan, lightly toast the spices until fragrant. Let the spices cool and place them into a spice bag (a small muslin bag, kind of like a teabag for making stock, available from most speciality food stores).

Fill a large 10-12 litre pot 3/4 full with cold water, and place it on medium-high heat.

On a gas stove, char onions and ginger until black. Let cool and rub charcoal off. This grilling makes them nice and sweet. Alternatively, you could roast them for half an hour or so at 180ºC, then peel the skins off the onion.

Add ginger, onions to the pot of water; along with the stock vegetables and powder. Add salt, sugar and the bag of spice mix.

SO today, rather than the usual creative person / product / visual inspiration feast we tend to share around here, we’re introducing something a little different, but something really important. ‘Owning It‘ is a brand new book written by Melbourne lawyer Sharon Givoni, especially for local creatives.

Sharon has been running her Melbourne based legal practice for 15 years, and advises many local creative businesses and individuals on intellectual property, copyright, trade mark and designs law, contracts and more.

Sharon’s book is published by Creative Minds, a new independent publishing house founded by Tess McCabe of the Creative Women’s Circle. Tess and Sharon have worked closely developing ‘Owning it’ for the best part of two years. The result is a 560 page hard cover book comprising almost 40 chapters – a remarkable effort, and an incredible resource for any Australian creative.

SO today, rather than the usual creative person / product / visual inspiration feast we tend to share around here, we’re introducing something a little different, but something really important. ‘Owning It‘ is a brand new book written by Melbourne lawyer Sharon Givoni, especially for local creatives.

Sharon has been running her Melbourne based legal practice for 15 years, and advises many local creative businesses and individuals on intellectual property, copyright, trade mark and designs law, contracts and more.

Sharon’s book is published by Creative Minds, a new independent publishing house founded by Tess McCabe of the Creative Women’s Circle. Tess and Sharon have worked closely developing ‘Owning it’ for the best part of two years. The result is a 560 page hard cover book comprising almost 40 chapters – a remarkable effort, and an incredible resource for any Australian creative.

‘Owning It‘ a new book and legal resource for Australian creatives, written by Melbourne lawyer Sharon Givoni. Art Direction by Tess McCabe.

‘Owning It‘ by Sharon Givoni is an incredible resource for local designers, writers, bloggers, photographers, and anyone else who is a maker of original creative work. It’s written in plain English, but it covers what every creative should know about the laws which protect their work. Frankly I can’t BELIEVE no one has written a book like this before now.

In a past life, Sharon worked for a top-tier Melbourne law firm in their IP department, but over time she developed a desire to offer creatively-minded clients a specialised service. In 2000, she started her own practice, Sharon Givoni Consulting, and hasn’t looked back.

‘In my own practice, I try to not just give clients answers to their questions and legal advice, but to actually help them to understand how the law works so they can be proactive about protecting their IP in the future’ says Sharon, who also frequently gives workshops and talks to professionals and students in creative industries, educating them about IP law in Australia and debunking some common myths and misunderstandings. ‘Owning it’ is a natural progression for Sharon, distilling her expertise into one easily accessible resource, with a focus on proactive strategies all creatives can employ to protect their work.

The book is published by Creative Minds, which is a brand new independent publishing house founded by Tess McCabe of the Creative Women’s Circle. The pair first met when Tess invited Sharon to present a seminar in Melbourne back in 2013. The event was a huge success, and both Sharon and Tess realised that misinformation about copyright and intellectual property law for the creative sector was rife, and that many people within Melbourne’s creative networks were regularly facing copyright infringement and contract breach issues. Despite this, no one single resource existed that educated this sector about their rights and responsibilities under Australian law, in a way that was easy to understand and not overwhelming.

Tess and Sharon have worked closely developing ‘Owning it‘ for the best part of two years. In response to demand, what started as a 200-page paperback has ballooned into a 560-page hardcover, full colour book, packed with real life case studies as well as images from over 140 Australian creatives such as Ken Done, Lucas Grogan, Lovestar, Bridget Bodenham, Anna Varendorff, and Rachel Castle to name a few.

‘A large focus of the book is about being proactive rather than reactive’ says Sharon. ‘While many other books talk about what you can do once a problem arises, Owning It also focuses on practical steps to prevent the problem arising in the first place’. The book is for every creative at any level – from hobbyists to professionals, freelancers to employees, students to small business employers, start-ups to industry stables. ‘I think there’s a shortage of plain English law books around for creative businesses’ says Sharon when asked why she wrote the book. ‘I feel there is a space in between complex and comprehensive text-books and overly short and simplified summaries. It’s a space that I hope that the book fills.’

On a personal level, I can attest to Sharon’s expertise and her rare ability to communicate legal terms in relatively plain English! A couple of years ago I was in a position of having a pretty hefty legal contract in front of me, which detailed a brand partnership The Design Files was asked to participate in. It was SCARY. I reached out to Sharon and she guided me through the process. She made a number of really smart revisions to the contract which I would never have picked up on without professional translation!

“Ultimately, our aim with this book is to encourage more creativity and innovation, as opposed to imitation, and see Australian creatives original work elevated to the level of respect it deserves” says Sharon. Hear hear!

Owning It by Sharon Givoni is priced at $75.00. Now that’s the most affordable legal advice you’ll ever be get! The book is officially released on April 9th, however pre-orders are available now – purchase online here.

‘Owning It‘ a new book and legal resource for Australian creatives, written by Melbourne lawyer Sharon Givoni. Art Direction by Tess McCabe.

We met local filmmaker Paris Thomson quite fortuitously last year, we’ve never looked back. This is the talented local filmmaker responsible for our recent series of TDF films.

Paris just turned 24. TWENTY-FOUR. It baffles me daily that someone with such immense talent, charm, business acumen and general worldliness can be running their own seriously busy little film production company at this age. It’s just not normal!

We admire Paris’s impressively varied skill set and uncompromising work ethic. This is a girl who speaks our language! We have been collaborating with Paris for just around six months and she’s already become a close part of the TDF family. We figured it was about time we introduced her to you all properly!

We met local filmmaker Paris Thomson quite fortuitously last year, we’ve never looked back. This is the talented local filmmaker responsible for our recent series of TDF films.

Paris just turned 24. TWENTY-FOUR. It baffles me daily that someone with such immense talent, charm, business acumen and general worldliness can be running their own seriously busy little film production company at this age. It’s just not normal!

We admire Paris’s impressively varied skill set and uncompromising work ethic. This is a girl who speaks our language! We have been collaborating with Paris for just around six months and she’s already become a close part of the TDF family. We figured it was about time we introduced her to you all properly!

Local filmmaker Paris Thomson of Sirap on location. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Paris on location for our Melbourne Mornings film with Raph Rashid. Photo – Brook James for The Design Files.

Paris on set, and no she doesn’t always dress to match the location! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

‘Yo! Yo! Yo!’

This is not a catchphrase many can get away with, but 24-year-old filmmaker Paris Thomson of Sirap can, and it suits her. The way she delivers this upbeat greeting pretty much encompasses exactly the type of person she is – warm, friendly, and full of energy, at all times. She’ll be up at 4am for a shoot in her sleek OH&S friendly runners, bouncing off the walls as if she has just had a dozen shots of Gatorade. (Disclaimer: She hasn’t, she just really loves her job.)

Paris Thomson is a name that might already be familiar. That’s because this is the clever young filmmaker we have been working with to produce our very own series of recent TDF films. We met Paris quite fortuitously last year when she and featured homeowner Fiona Richardson pitched us this film, and we’ve never looked back. We have since been collaborating with Paris on all our Australian Homes films, our Melbourne Mornings series, and brainstorming a number of other projects we have in the pipeline.

Growing up, Paris seemed always destined to work in a creative field. As a child, she lived with her photographer father and fashion agent mother, in a warehouse conversion above her father’s photographic studio. ‘Instead of a backyard, I had a cyclorama. My holidays were spent playing hide and seek in the dark rooms and skateboarding on the cyc, it was like a half pipe!’ Paris reminisces. This environment led Paris to study Professional Communications at RMIT.

‘I loved the fast pace of media, but had no idea where I wanted to end up, which is why this course was so appealing – it was like a media buffet where I could pick and choose the caviar from the cold meats!’ Paris says.

Eventually, after dabbling in radio and television production at RRR and Channel 10, and experimenting with photography and video, she found her calling, and launched her own business, Sirap, in 2013, recognising that she ‘loved being able to make films that told a story.’ She was just 22 at the time.

Originally Sirap was a one-woman show, with Paris across everything from production to direction, cinematography and editing. Taking it all in her stride, Paris says ‘having to wear different hats has meant the whole process of creation is one stream, one thought, and one aesthetic. It has become the way I create.’

A couple of years on, and Paris now collaborates regularly with various editors, stylists, animators and music producers. Her list of clients is pretty impressive and includes Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, LXÉ, Bonds, Sass & Bide, and Liberte Jewellery to name a few. One of her favourite recent projects was working with Leandra Medine of Man Repeller to create a series of videos for Sass & Bide’s summer campaign.

Paris’ films are much like herself – engaging, human but refined. ‘I love giving life to inanimate objects, or pulling people or scenarios out of context, to change the way they’re interpreted.’ she says. She’ll do anything to capture that winning shot, even if that means hanging out a car boot with a camera in hand (which we have witnessed/encouraged on multiple occasions).

On the cards for Paris this year is a trip to NYC, more films for local brands, and of course even more enthusiastic greetings for her crew and clients…’Yo Yo Yo!’.

You can re-visit recent TDF Films made by Paris Thomson here, and pop back later this week as we launch our third ‘Melbourne Mornings’ film made by Paris, featuring a brilliant local artist you all know and love!